 Phenomenal Woman (4 Poems Celebrating Woman) Maya Angelou, the bestselling author of On the Pulse of Morning, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now, and other lavishly praised works, is considered one of America's finest poets. Here, four of her most highly acclaimed poems are assembled in a beautiful gift edition that provides a feast for the eyes as well as the heart. |
by Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute
or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I
start to tell them,
They think
I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the
reach of my arms
The span of
my hips,
The stride
of my step,
The curl of
my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal
woman,
That's me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool
as you please,
And to a
man,
The fellows
stand or
Fall down on
their knees.
Then they
swarm around me,
A hive of
honey bees.
I say,
It's the
fire in my eyes,
And the
flash of my teeth,
The swing in
my waist,
And the joy
in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal
woman,
That's me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they
see in me.
They try so
much
But they
can't touch
My inner
mystery.
When I try
to show them
They say
they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the
arch of my back,
The sun of
my smile,
The ride of
my breasts,
The grace of
my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal
woman,
That's me.
Now you understand
Just why my
head's not bowed.
I don't
shout or jump about
Or have to
talk real loud.
When you see
me passing
It ought to
make you proud.
I say,
It's in the
click of my heels,
The bend of
my hair,
the palm of
my hand,
The need of
my care,
'Cause I'm a
woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal
woman,
That's me.